Steady rest for lathes



Aug. 3, 1943. w. F. GROENE ETAL ST EADY'REST FOR LATHES Filed Oct. 12,1942 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. W\LL\ RM F. QROERE BYv mom .3. suaKmNNM RTYQRNEY Patented Au 3, 1943 1 2,325,843 sTEAnY; REST-FOR Lri'EHES. I

William GroeneandHarold;.LSiekmann, cini cinnati, Ohio, assignors to TheR. LeBlond- .7

Machine Tool Ccmpan l corporation ofpelaware y Cincinna i; Ohio, at

Application- October 12, 194g, Serial No. itigate 2 0mm; (01. sa-we Thisinvention pertains to steady rests for lathes, and is particularlyrelated to steady rest mechanism associated with the tool slides andcutting tools of a lathe. One of the chief objects of the invention isto provide a steady rest or backup rest for engaging a workpiece'tooppose the cutting forces applied to the work piece by cutting toolsoperating upon it. More specifically, it is the object to, providesteady rest means having a pair of work engaging rollers carried thereinand which rollers may be simultaneously moved toward the work axis'so asto engage the 1 cylindrical surface of the work piece at uniformdistances for each roller from its axis of rotation.

It is a further object; of this invention :to. so arrange the steadyrest or backup resthaving a pair of rollers so that these rollers movetoward the work piece. in a direction at a substantial angle to thedirection'ofthe feeding of the tools toward the work axis while at thesame time maintaining uniform and accurate contact of both of therollers with the cylindrical surface of the work piece being machined.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a lathe having a toolslide with a cutting tool movable to and from the'work piece, and asteady rest or backup rest associated with said cutting tool, means forrapidly advancing or retracting either the cutting tool feeding slide orthe steady rest device to or from the work and to eifect the finalinitial and accurate setting of either of these members by suitablemanual feed.

Further features and advantages of this invention'will appear fromthedetailed description of the drawings in which: a Figure I is atransverse section of a lathe incorporating the novel steady rest andtool slide arrangement of applicants" invention.

Figure II is afragmentary sectional view on the line II--II of Figure Iparticularly. showing the relationship of the rapid traverse motor driveand steady rest actuating shafts.

Figure III is a plan view, partly in section on the line IIIIII ofFigures I and II, particular- I work: Wz fln this cross'slide sarismounted, in this instance, a multiple tool turret 4a; aving various toolholders}; and; fifcontainingrcutting tools't and 8 which may beswunginto-the out? ting-posi1tion of cutting'tool lbizgappiropriatelymanipulating the control' ievers 'fi la nd was is typical of such turrettypemultipl'e toolhcldir g devices forlathe's. 7 V j. The cross slideiqimaybe actuated manually in cros slide movement by means. of thehandwheel ll', Figu-re III; This; hand wheel]! is. carriedj'on the crossfeed' 'screw J2 iournaled in'ithe bearings l3; Hi, '15, and; team thecarri'age 2.. Rotation of this cross feed hand. wheel lieffectsrotation'of the cross feedfscrewlZ and through the medium-of its threadll operating 'inthe pinion and the associated gears on the tool slide 7slidable a carriage 2 on suitable ways 3 and-4 of the bed. On'the frontportion of the carriage 2 is mounted the cross slide 3a on appropriatedove-tail guide ways (not shown) for cross travel movement with respectto the lathe bed I and nut 24 attachedto 'the'bottom of the cross. slide3a, the eross'slide to may hus be actuatedin cross movement on thecarriage 2.

On the rear of the carriage is mounted the steady rest 25 which isslidable on suitable inclined dove-tail guide ways 26 so that the pathof motion of the work engaging rollers 21 and 28 carried on appropriatepins 29 in the steady rest 25 is in the direction of the line 30 passingthrough the axis of rotation 3| of the work piece W. It will be notedthat this line 3!], representing the direction of travel of rollers 21and 23, is at a substantial angle to the line of feed 32 of the variouscutting tools fl and Ben the turret 4a of the cross slide 3a. Theserollers 21" I and 28 are axiallypositioned with respect to the axis 3|so'that they" both properly engage and position the work W with respectto its true axis of rotation 3| to which it isito be machinedin thelathe. this steady rest 25in the directionv of the line 30permitsboth'rollers 2! and ,28 to properly engage the work simultaneously andaccurately without individual adjustment of each of the rollvers whileat the same time positioning the points of contact of the rollers 21 and28 so as toabsorb all distortive forces which may be imparted to thework piece by the cutting tool 1 operating thereon in feeding in' thedirection of the line 32..

The steady rest 25 may be actuated in its angular movement by means'ofthe screw 33 appropriately journaled against axial movement in asuitable bearing 34 of the carriage 2 which opcrates in a 'nut 35 fixedto the bottom of the steadyrest 25. A suitable bevel pinion 35 fixed tothe end of the screw 33 isengaged by a mat ingbevel pinion 31 fixed tothe steady rest actuating shaft 38 appropriately journaled in suit- 7able bearings 39 and 49. Shaft 38 may be ro- The angular direction ofmovement of I tated for actuating the screw 33 and thereby the steadyrest manually'to and from the work W by the manipulating hand wheel 40journaled on a shaft 4! in the carriage 2 and-whichhas a gear a 42driving through the respective pinion gears 5 43 and 44 on the studs 45and 46 whichengage a gear 41 fixed on the shaft 38.

On the steady rest actuating rod 38' is J'0' |.11 naled a sliding clutchgear 48 having gear teeth '49 formed thereon which are constantly inmesh 1o with the gear 50 of an electric driving motor 5!. This clutchgear 48 may be moved axially of the shaft 38 by any suitable means suchas the handle 52, Figure III, carried on a rock shaft 53 having a gear54 engaging in a rack 55 of the shifter yoke 56 carried on arod 51 andwhich has a pin 58 operating in an annular slot 59 in the clutch gear 48so that the clutch teeth 8!! of the clutch gear 48 may be engaged withthe clutch teeth 6! formed on the pinion 31. fixed to withdraw eitherthe toolfeedin'g device or the steady rest device with respect to thework W. Final'nic'ety of adjustment is efiected by the respective, handwheels 'II and 40 for controlling the movement ofthe tool slide andsteadyrest.

, Having thus fully set forth and described our 35 invention what weclaim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a lathe, a bed, a carriage mounted on said bed, a cross slidemounted on said carriage,

a cutting tool mounted on said cross slide, a steady rest mounted onsaid carriage for move- "ment to and from a work piece in said lathe ina direction angularly related to the relative movement of the cuttingtool on said cross slide with respect to the work piece, work contactingrollers in said steady rest one located substantially above said workpiece in said lathe, a second roller on said steady rest substantiallydiametrically opposite the point of contact of the cutting tool on saidcross slide with the work piece, and

means for adjusting the relative movement of said cross slide and steadyrest relative to a work piece in said lathe, and power rapid traversemeans alternatelyengageable with one or the other of saidadjusting meansfor rapidly pre- 'senting or withdrawing either said cross slide and itstool,or'said steady rest and its rollers relative to said Work piece.

2. In a lathe, a bed, a carriage longitudinally movable on said bed,across slide movable perpendicular to the axis of rotation of a workpiece in said lathe mounted on said carriage, a cutting tool mounted onsaid cross slide, a steady 'rest 5 mounted on an inclined guide way formovement to and from said Work piece in said lathe from a directionangularly related to the direction of movement of said cutting toolrelative to said work piece, swork engaging portions on said steady restto-support said work piece against cutting forces imposed thereon bycutting action of said cutting tool, individual manual means foradjusting said'cross slide or said steady rest and power meansalternately engageable, to rapidly traverse. either said cross slide orsaid steady rest to and from work engaging position;

WILLIAM F. GROENE'.

HAROLD J. SIEKMANN.

